Reading
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NRSVUE)
Reflection
Sometimes people think that if they decide to grow in their generosity — and give increasingly more to the Church’s important work in the world —it’s likely to turn into a bad experience of mournful sacrifice and become a serious drain on their spirit. However, the actual experience of generous people doesn’t track that way at all. Most generous givers I know, especially those who keep increasing their level of generosity, are filled with joy and peace. They don’t feel like it’s a painful sacrifice. Rather, they see the opportunity to be generous as a blessing they don’t want to miss.
I’ve always found the statement “God loves a cheerful giver” to be meaningful. It reminds me that it pleases God immensely when we’re happy to contribute to God’s work in the world. It’s no wonder that it pleases God to see us give with a cheerful heart. Experiencing the act of giving as a happy opportunity indicates we’re not being held captive by greed. And that kind of liberation is, indeed, something to be happy about! God realizes we can’t be happy unless we reject the unfulfilling and artificial things that have no efficacy in satisfying our soul. When we learn to give with a cheerful heart, we knock down the barricade of self-centeredness and open the road that leads to deep fellowship with God.
Whenever I encounter the words contained in this scripture passage, I also like to turn the phrase on its head. In my mind, I finish the thought with this: “And a cheerful giver loves God.” If we look at giving as a way of expressing our love for God, it can dramatically change how we feel about giving. The notion of giving as an expression of love is hardly foreign to us. Don’t we picture in our minds, as we pick out a special present for a loved one, the smile that’s likely to come across their face when they open the gift? And don’t we relish, even before that gift-opening moment, the joy we will bring to someone we love?
Sometimes, we might feel a little uneasy about the statement, “God loves a cheerful giver.” After all, we know that God loves everyone, not just cheerful givers. It seems that the point of this statement is not to exclude anyone, but to remind us that it brings a special kind of joy to God when people experience joy in being generous. It’s not a joy that comes with relishing attention or thanks from others. Rather, I’m talking about a joy that comes from knowing that we have the incredible and unmatched blessing of getting to be part of the love that God is spreading around us, with us, and even through us. Taking part in that love not only has the power to warm our hearts; it has the power to transform our hearts.
As someone who grew up on a farm, I know full well that if we decide to be miserly about the seed we sow, there’s no sense in expecting a good harvest. The amount we sow is directly related to what we can expect will germinate, sprout, mature, and bear fruit.
When it comes to giving, even if we don’t know where, how, or when the resources we give are utilized, we can experience the joy of giving. Why? Because we’ve already been freed from the chains of hanging on too tightly to stuff that doesn’t matter, in favor of clinging to what does.
Prayer
Almighty and Loving God, we live in a society in which we’re often encouraged to hold on tightly to stuff that doesn’t matter in the end. Help us, O Christ, to follow in your footsteps and open ourselves up to the special joy of pleasing not our own selfish desires but the desire of God to spread love to a hurting world. God, let the joy of knowing that you are pleased be enough to keep us from worry, regret, or grumpiness in our giving. Amen.
